How do you deter mice from nesting in engine compartment

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May 7, 2017
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Suffolk
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Chausson 788
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20 years
I found a dead mouse beside Motorhome this morning, just worried they might start chewing the wiring loom as I have heard one or two people have had this happen any one got any constructive ideas please
Tony A
 
That happened to us last year, what a pain in the but, luckily we fixed it ourselves but it took a bit of sorting out, now we have sprayed the engine bay and around the wheels with a spider spray that's made in Germany but available from boat chandlers, so far so good , they don't like the citrus smell
 
I doubt you will stop them.
Maybe random timed lights and sound MAY help but if it was regular times they would get used to it.
Mothballs, peppermint oil.... They get used to it and will ignore it just as they do with high pitch sonic repellents.
If the van was stored indoors you could place glue mats around the tyres as that's the only way they can climb up but outdoors they'll be covered in leaves and debris in a day.
 
Leave the engine running...........;)
 
I have one of these fitted to the underside of the middle of the van and one in the engine bay.

Amazon product ASIN B0000WR76I
marten repelant.jpg
 
OK best way is black pepper white pepper and hot red pepper everywhere on the engine . You don't risk anything, I have chased the ones in mine like that.
Of course you can add (out of reach of cats and dogs) a few bits of slow poison (you don't want them to die in your motorhome ...it stinks). Put gloves on so they can't smell your very human's smell.

EDIT: I've also sprayed all the possible accesses to the habitation with a defense spray with red pepper in. I can tell you their little moustache hates that!
 
Maybe have a look at anti marten kit, (as in pine marten) they are standard issue here (steinmarder in German) practically all auto and diy stores sell anti marder products across mainland Europe. They work on cats as well as martens and also rats, not sure about mice though ? but i reckon the ultrasonic alarms would, they seem very effective, the pitch changing ones are the best apparently.

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I have studied this in some detail.

I would suggest the following -

prohibition-sign-for-mice-vector-599214.jpg

Never understand why in some circumstances the red line across the sign means NO

But traffic signs leave the red line off.............:doh::doh::doh:
 
just worried they might start chewing the wiring loom

You are perfectly right to worry . The rats in mine chewed the stirring power hose (grease yum yum) and I got stuck in front of my house. Max (Moho) went on a trailer to get fixed.

I've learnt my lesson and every year I do all the things I have learnt to have my Max safe! and so far it has worked for more than 2 years

Here is the thread I had posted at that time ... if any use for anyone ... winter 's coming
https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/my-experience-on-how-to-fight-rodents.97692/
 
I use a couple of proprietary external bait traps with one relatively close to motorhome to get them before they attempt entry, has worked so far.
 
I have heard (really) that an uncovered bowl with some cat pee in it works. I assume you have to replace with fresh pee now and again.
How you get a cat to pee in the bowl, I have no idea.(y)
 
How you get a cat to pee in the bowl, I have no idea.(y)

It's pretty easy actually as we need to get a urine sample from our aged cat ever fortnight.
 
Can't add to above suggestions ,but, don't vans come with cats fitted to the exhaust:D. SORRY.
John
 
I found a dead mouse beside Motorhome this morning, just worried they might start chewing the wiring loom as I have heard one or two people have had this happen any one got any constructive ideas please
Tony A
Had it been electrocuted?
 
It's pretty easy actually as we need to get a urine sample from our aged cat ever fortnight.
Well, either you could tell us how you do it, or you could keep some back and sell it to Funsters.:D2

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Well, either you could tell us how you do it, or you could keep some back and sell it to Funsters.:D2

The later I think as we only need enough to do a litmus test, so place your orders and we start bottling it. (y)
 
Some years ago we had mice in our airing cupboard as was told that mice did not like lavender, so we put lavender bags in the cupboard and the mice disappeared
 
You don’t say what model you have. If it is a Ducato then it should have one of these.
9AD0E86B-C35B-4DA8-81AB-E39248886692.jpeg
 
We had a mouse nest in the engine bay a couple of years ago when we were not using it for a couple of months, since then we’ve used rodent repellent powder to good effect, it’s supposed to make rodents think there’s bigger badder rodents already there, so they go elsewhere.
Didn’t stop a blackbird making a nest though.
 
Overall i don't worry too much about mice here just the chuffing marders (marten) or fouine for Yodeli. They chew everything outside, riding boots, wellies, hose pipes, the turbo pipe on the camper this Easter. For 2yrs we would who was playing a joke on us and putting the rubber dog toys in the engine compartment, easily found by the smell of burning rubber about 30mins down the road, it was some more marder run and games. They took out all the engine sound proofing on both cars as well before chewing through my neighbours fuel pipe, he found that about 100m down the road...

We have less issue since one went to sleep in the warm engine bay of the Discovery, kipping on the engine fan wasn't smart when we had an early get up.....

Still the mice have nicked my hemp seed form the barn, cheeky buggers !
 
I have heard (really) that an uncovered bowl with some cat pee in it works. I assume you have to replace with fresh pee now and again.
How you get a cat to pee in the bowl, I have no idea.(y)
wringer.png should do the trick:D
 

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